Normally, when you find plastic bags full of waste with green stuff growing inside, you don't open them up hoping that something good will come out. NASA, though, is trying to be a bit more optimistic, and the agency thinks that it can float a bunch algae bags out in disused bays, pump in waste water and pump out jet fuel. Good luck with that.

Trains are the most efficient way to move lots of big stuff over land, but the rail lines don't always go to where the goods need to be. With a special combination wheel design that can quickly convert from rail...